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My book club debated reading a memoir vs a thriller last month
I pushed hard for the memoir about a park ranger. Everyone wanted the twisty thriller instead. We read the thriller. Half the group hated the ending. Now I'm stuck wondering if we should revisit the memoir or move on completely. Has anyone else had a pick flop that bad?
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wyatt_green311mo ago
Nah, I don't think the pick was a total flop... sounds like it just didn't land for half the group. That happens all the time. A thriller that falls apart in the last few chapters can feel like a waste, but at least it got people talking. Maybe the real problem was everyone wanted something different from the start, and that tension never let up. Reading a memoir after that might feel like a gear shift, but it could be worth trying if the group is open to giving it a fair shot.
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nora_dixon1mo agoMost Upvoted
Good point, @wyatt_green31, I used to think it was a flop but your take actually changed my mind.
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mark3611mo ago
Man, "that tension never let up" is exactly what I think happened. But here's something nobody's bringing up - maybe the real issue is that book clubs have this weird pressure to only read "good" books. Like if a pick flops, you somehow failed at being a book club. Honestly, some of my group's best conversations came from books we hated. We tore that thriller apart for two hours and everyone had a different theory about what the ending should have been. That's way more interesting than everyone nodding along about how great a memoir was. So maybe don't bail on the memoir if people are still fired up, but don't chase being "right" either. Let the group decide and if it flops again, at least you'll have plenty to yell about.
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